Latest news with #HayRiver
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Hay River, N.W.T., man facing sex-related charges testifies at trial
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. A Hay River, N.W.T., man facing sex charges testified in his own defence in a Yellowknife courtroom on Wednesday. Justin Minute, 39, has pleaded not guilty to child luring, voyeurism and sexual assault. The trial before N.W.T Supreme Court Justice Karin L.E Taylor was in its third day. Minute told the court that he was "blown away by the accusations" made against him by the complainant in the case, and said he didn't know what was behind them. Earlier this week, the complainant, who was underage at time of the alleged incidents in 2018 and 2019, testified that she saw Minute's phone in a bathroom, pointed at the shower. She said he also made sexual jokes and touched her around her waist inappropriately. Her identity is protected by a publication ban. Minute told the court on Wednesday that he once accidentally forgot his phone in a bathroom, then used his watch's camera button to see where the phone was. He said he saw the shower on his watch, but no one was there. He said he never spied on the complainant. The accusations first came to light in February 2020 to the Hay River RCMP. The court heard that the police didn't recover any of the alleged bathroom recordings on Minute's phone or watch. Two of Minute's former partners also testified this week. They both told the court that Minute confessed to them that he did all of the things he's accused of. Some text messages and transcripts of phone recordings from Minute to his former partners were also read out in court. In one, Minute says he "should be in jail," and in another he says, "I feel like a bad person for the things I have done." In court Wednesday, Minute said there was a lot of miscommunication, and that he never confessed to any of the allegations. He agreed that some of the messages seemed like admissions of guilt, but he claimed he was frustrated at the time, and emotionally overwhelmed by the shame of being accused. He said his words did not come out as clearly as he intended at the time and that he had a hard time articulating his thoughts. "[She] confused shame with guilt," Minute said, referring to one of his ex-partners. In his cross examination, Crown prosecutor Morgan Fane said that a lot of Minute's testimony involved him saying he was misinterpreted, while the evidence sounded like a confession. Minute told the court the charges have affected him professionally and personally. He said he was employed as a case worker at the Hay River jail, and after he was charged he was reassigned. Minute said the charges have also affected his mental health, and that he had attempted suicide twice. Minute was the last witness to testify at the trial. Lawyers for both sides will give their closing arguments Thursday.
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Chiropractor opens new clinic in Hay River, N.W.T., to fill health-care gap in the South Slave
Social Sharing Hay River, N.W.T., now has a chiropractic clinic. Dr. Niz Saab and his partner, Alannah Clark, launched Hay River Chiropractic on May 22. Located next to Ring's Pharmacy, the clinic offers weekend appointments at its downtown office Saab said the need for chiropractic services in the region was clear from the start. Patients from nearby communities like Fort Smith are already booking appointments, and he said the community's response has been incredibly warm. "Everybody's just so friendly," he said. "People roll down the window and say, 'Hey, are you the new chiropractor? Welcome to town.' I just never experienced anything like that before." Saab said the decision to come north was more than just a business move. Several years ago, he helped a fellow chiropractor open a new clinic in High Level, Alta. While providing services in northern Alberta, Saab realized that many people don't have easy access to medical care and how much of a difference it can make in their lives. He said that after being in the field for 25 years, that trip rejuvenated him. "People were just like, 'thank you so much for coming here,'" he recalled. "I'm like, 'it's my pleasure. It's my privilege to do this.' You know, that kind of really altered me." The need became even more apparent during another recent trip north. Saab said one patient had been living with a medical issue for nearly a decade — something he rarely sees in the city, where clinics are often just minutes away. "He hadn't been able to shoulder-check for seven years," he said. "I adjusted him and gave him full range back. He just said, 'I can't believe this.'" Saab said that as a practitioner, his goal is to improve the overall health and wellness of his clients, and he's grateful to bring that to the South Slave. "I'm a certified wellness practitioner," he said. "Which means I'm trained in teaching people how to eat food and think in the most natural way. Genetically, what the human species requires." Hay River resident Beatrice Lepine says it's a relief to see the clinic open, since people usually have to leave the community for specialized care. She says that's made access in the region inconsistent and unreliable. "When I had to go to a dentist, I arranged an appointment in Yellowknife and there was freezing rain the day I was going to travel, so I had to cancel that out," Lepine said. Lepine adds that travelling for care has become harder as she gets older, and that for elders or people with chronic pain, it can be nearly impossible. "It's certainly stressful as you get older. You don't want to drive [long distances]."
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Trial begins for a Hay River, N.W.T., man facing sex-related charges
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. A trial began Monday in a Yellowknife courtroom for a Hay River, N.W.T., man facing several sex-related charges. 39-year-old Justin Minute is accused of voyeurism, sexual assault, and child luring. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The charges are related to incidents that allegedly happened in Hay River and Fort Smith in 2018 and 2019. In February 2023, the RCMP arrested and charged Minute. According to court records, Minute had also been charged with voyeurism in January 2020, but that charge was later dropped. At the time of the alleged offences, Minute was working as a case manager at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in Hay River. There is no suggestion that the allegations are connected to his work. The charges are related to one alleged victim, who was the first person to testify at the judge-only trial. The woman's identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban. The complainant told the court about an incident where she found Minute's phone in a bathroom, pointed at the toilet and with the camera application open. She also described other alleged incidents of inappropriate touching, sexual jokes, and text messages by Minute which had pictures of her. A teenager at the time, she said the incidents made her feel uncomfortable around Minute. She first brought the allegations to the Hay River RCMP in February 2020, and again in September 2022. Minute was arrested in 2023. During cross examination in N.W.T. Supreme Court on Monday, Minute's lawyer Evan McIntyre noted how many times Minute's accuser began her testimony with "I think," and implied it would be difficult to remember details from years ago. McIntyre also pointed out that when the complainant spoke to the RCMP, she said she did not think the phone camera in the bathroom was recording. McIntyre added that the complainant's first statement to police in 2020 only mentioned the bathroom allegation, and not any other inappropriate incidents. Her 2022 statement to police included more details about the other alleged incidents. The complainant told the court on Monday that she wasn't sure at first whether certain behaviours would have counted as inappropriate, and that's why she didn't mention them until her later statement to police. The trial continues Tuesday.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Fort Smith residents welcome latest report on N.W.T.'s handling of 2023 wildfires
Some people in Fort Smith, N.W.T., are welcoming recommendations included in the latest report on the N.W.T. government's handling of the 2023 wildfires and community evacuations. The consultant's report, released last week, found the territory's response was riddled with issues, including that frontline staff didn't know an emergency plan existed. Helena Katz lives in Fort Smith, which was one of the communities most affected by the wildfires. Katz was among those who headed to Hay River when her community was evacuated in 2023, and was then forced to flee Hay River when a fire also threatened that community. Katz and her husband were driving south of Hay River with their animals in a trailer when flames engulfed the highway and their vehicle caught fire. They managed to escape and were rescued, but they lost their beloved alpacas and herding dogs in the incident. She says the report released last week confirms things she had been hearing informally. "When you get answers, it helps with some of the healing that needs to happen. For me, like a lot of us suffered… experienced trauma," she said. "In my case, some of the trauma was things like flashbacks, not being able to go out in public, not sleeping. Every time I close my eyes, all I would see was us … like me sitting in the burning truck. And so it helps to understand what happened." The report also includes recommendations, all of which Katz agrees with. Among the recommendations is one urging the territory to create an agency dedicated to emergency management. Katz believes that's something that could lessen the pressure placed on local governments. "You might have some elected officials that are trying to decide on whether to take a recommendation to evacuate," she said. "And some may just say, 'sure, that's fine we accept the recommendation of the experts,' but other people that might not have as much experience might start questioning it. And then that leads to delays." Dana Fergusson, mayor of Fort Smith, agrees that a single agency dedicated to emergency management would have made a difference during the evacuation, especially around who's essential and who isn't. "I think clearly identifying roles and responsibilities in an emergency would definitely streamline the process," she said. Fergusson was a town councillor during the 2023 evacuation. During that time she kept residents informed on what was happening on the ground by posting regular videos to social media. She says she did this because of misinformation that was circulating, including false stories of buildings burning down. "There was a huge gap in how to get information out," Fergusson recalled. She said letting people know that their homes were OK while they were away gave them "hope." Fergusson and Katz both agreed that the Town of Fort Smith had a good emergency plan in 2023. Its emergency preparedness plan for 2025 was nearly put to the test already this season, as Fort Smith faced an evacuation alert earlier this month due to a suspected human caused fire near the community. Fergusson said the fact the threat this month was addressed so quickly has shown people how prepared the community is. But she said people are still aware of how high the risk is. "Everyone's talking about how dry it is in our area. We still have a whole lot of potential fuel sources to the east of our community into Alberta," she said.
CBC
13-05-2025
- CBC
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2022 death in Hay River, N.W.T.
A 26-year-old man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2022 death of Roland Lamalice in Hay River, N.W.T. Riley Jordan Moyah was charged with murder in January 2022 after the body of Lamalice, 24, was found on Lagoon Road. A Canada-wide warrant was issued for Moyah and he was arrested days later in St. Albert, Alta. Moyah appeared in territorial court Monday in Hay River where he pleaded not guilty to murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Moyah's defence lawyer requested a pre-sentencing Gladue report.
